1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to railway hopper cars and more specifically to a locking mechanism for the hopper car doors which is activated by a ground mounted camming device responsive to wheel engagement.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Pertinent patents of the prior art include U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,594,863, Aug. 3, 1926; 1,781,259, Nov. 11, 1930; 3,321,093, May 23, 1967; 3,452,886, July 1, 1969 and 2,616,576, Nov. 4, 1952. The present invention is an improvement over the aforementioned patents in that it shows a more efficient design for locking the clam shell doors of a hopper car which includes a gravity latching mechanism directly engageable with the horizontal arms utilized for closing the clam shell doors by a side-of-track camming mechanism. The locking mechanism also includes a car wheel actuating mechanism for placing the latch elements in an open position the same including a safety lock intended to prevent inadvertent opening of the locking mechanism while the car is in transit but which is adapted to be engaged by an improved ground mounted and wheel actuated camming mechanism.